Occupants of the new offices created under the Kampala Capital City (Amendment) Act, 2020 haven't been paid for the nine months they have been in office.
They include KCCA speakers, their deputies, and executive committee members both at the Authority and the five divisions of Kampala. Also, support staff like personal assistants too have not been paid.
The office of the speaker, deputy and executive committees were created under the Kampala Capital City (Amendment) Act, 2020. The speaker and deputy are elected from councillors at the Authority and divisions respectively. The five-member executive committees consist of the mayor, the deputy mayor, and three members appointed by the lord mayor and division mayors respectively.
When the offices where operationalized earlier this year, KCCA planned to spend more than Shs 2 billion on salaries. The KCCA speaker would carry home a monthly paycheque of Shs 13.8 million, which amounts to Shs 165.7 million annually.
The deputy speaker is entitled to earn Shs 11 million monthly amounting to Shs 132. 5 million annually. Each of the three executive secretaries at the Authority would also pocket Shs 11 million - amounting to about Shs 135.5 million annually for each member.
Division speakers would earn Shs 9.8 million a month, with KCCA planning to spend Shs 590.4 million annually on the remuneration of the speakers of the five divisions. Their deputies and the three urban executive secretaries for each of the five divisions would earn Shs 7.5 million monthly and hence about Shs 90 million annually.
However, to date, the officials and their support staff haven't been paid. KCCA speaker Abubakar Kawalya declined to comment on the matter, and only said his focus was on service delivery to the people of Kampala and not money. Several officials who preferred anonymity confirmed they haven't received a salary since taking office.
Kampala mayor, Erias Kukwago has previously raised the issue with the political wing in vain while KCCA spokesperson, Daniel NuweAbine, says the matter shall be discussed before cabinet.
The office of the speaker, deputy and executive committees were created under the Kampala Capital City (Amendment) Act, 2020. The speaker and deputy are elected from councillors at the Authority and divisions respectively. The five-member executive committees consist of the mayor, the deputy mayor, and three members appointed by the lord mayor and division mayors respectively.
When the offices where operationalized earlier this year, KCCA planned to spend more than Shs 2 billion on salaries. The KCCA speaker would carry home a monthly paycheque of Shs 13.8 million, which amounts to Shs 165.7 million annually.
The deputy speaker is entitled to earn Shs 11 million monthly amounting to Shs 132. 5 million annually. Each of the three executive secretaries at the Authority would also pocket Shs 11 million - amounting to about Shs 135.5 million annually for each member.
Division speakers would earn Shs 9.8 million a month, with KCCA planning to spend Shs 590.4 million annually on the remuneration of the speakers of the five divisions. Their deputies and the three urban executive secretaries for each of the five divisions would earn Shs 7.5 million monthly and hence about Shs 90 million annually.
However, to date, the officials and their support staff haven't been paid. KCCA speaker Abubakar Kawalya declined to comment on the matter, and only said his focus was on service delivery to the people of Kampala and not money. Several officials who preferred anonymity confirmed they haven't received a salary since taking office.
Kampala mayor, Erias Kukwago has previously raised the issue with the political wing in vain while KCCA spokesperson, Daniel NuweAbine, says the matter shall be discussed before cabinet.
There has been a debate on whether all the officials should even be paid in the first place. In a November 9, 2020 letter, addressed to the KCCA executive director and the deputy solicitor general Christopher Gashirabake, says the executive committee members don't qualify for remuneration.
He opines that while the office of the speakers as provided for under section 8A of the amended Act and that of their deputies under section 29A can be categorized as new political offices, executive committees at the Authority and the five divisions are not new offices for purposes of remuneration "because these are councillors appointed to the executive committee and division committees to discharge additional duties of the council on those committees."
Adding that "for remuneration purposes, they are already catered for under section 77 of the KCCA Act, 2010 which gives the minister responsible for the capital city in consultation with the minister responsible for finance and the minister for Public Service the mandate to determine the remuneration of councillors of the authority and those lower urban council,"
Gashirabake says since the section refers to specific offices, it would require an amendment of the law before the same section is used to determine remuneration for the executive committees. He says the executive committee members can be remunerated as councillors.
He opines that while the office of the speakers as provided for under section 8A of the amended Act and that of their deputies under section 29A can be categorized as new political offices, executive committees at the Authority and the five divisions are not new offices for purposes of remuneration "because these are councillors appointed to the executive committee and division committees to discharge additional duties of the council on those committees."
Adding that "for remuneration purposes, they are already catered for under section 77 of the KCCA Act, 2010 which gives the minister responsible for the capital city in consultation with the minister responsible for finance and the minister for Public Service the mandate to determine the remuneration of councillors of the authority and those lower urban council,"
Gashirabake says since the section refers to specific offices, it would require an amendment of the law before the same section is used to determine remuneration for the executive committees. He says the executive committee members can be remunerated as councillors.
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